


Try Harder, Next Time

by pencilguin



Series: Fictober 2018 [10]
Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
Genre: Gen, Mute Link (Legend of Zelda)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-27
Updated: 2018-12-27
Packaged: 2019-09-28 15:30:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 534
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17185610
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pencilguin/pseuds/pencilguin
Summary: Link is trying to save Termina from impending doom. But sometimes, he fails. A little pep talk from Tatl might be necessary.





	Try Harder, Next Time

**Author's Note:**

> This was originally posted on Tumblr as part of the Fictober 2018 challenge. Unbeta'd; I apologize for any mistakes that might still be in there.

“Link!” Tatl screamed in desperation. “It’s too late! We’re running out of time!” 

_“No …”_ he insisted. _“There’s still a chance …”_

The fairy was pleading now. “Link, _please_! We only have five minutes left! We have to go back! Now! Before it’s too late!” 

Link gritted his teeth. _“Just one more hit … one more …”_ He was sure of it, the next blow he’d deal to Gyorg would be the last. Because it had to be. 

He aimed his arrow at the giant fish as it jumped over the platform he was standing on and rained drops of water down on him, squeezing one eye shut. The arrow missed. 

_No!_

“We’re finished!” Tatl cried out. 

Link aimed again. This time, the arrow found its target, but Gyorg landed in the water and swam on. 

“Please, Link … play the song …” 

He lowered his bow and clutched the ocarina. It was no use and he knew it. He could feel the seconds ticking down inside his head. He raised the instrument to his lips and played the familiar notes. 

The indescribable sensation of time unspooling and rewinding encompassed them once more, and the next thing they knew, they were standing in front of the large tower in the centre of the city again, facing South Clock Town. 

Link dropped to his knees and hands, breathing heavily from exhaustion. Next to him, Tatl flew down a little so she was at eye level. 

“I thought we were going to die … Link, why did you wait so long?” She sounded angry. He couldn’t really blame her. 

Another second or two passed before he got up just enough so he could sit down on the stone floor. 

_“I thought this time I could do it,”_ he signed. Then, with a bitter expression, _“Apparently not.”_

Tatl’s wings drooped. 

_“I was too slow, everything took too long.”_ He bit his lower lip to stop it from trembling. He couldn’t remember the last time he slept. 

Tatl flew directly in front of his face for her pep talk. 

“But we live! It’s not the end of the word—yet. Just … try harder, next time.” 

_“I keep trying and trying. But I failed. Again.”_

“I know,” she said sympathetically. “But here you get the chance that few others get: You can go back and do it all over. You can try again. Fail again; fail better. Until you succeed. And I know you will. You’re a hero.” 

Link looked at her. She was being so nice to him all of a sudden; this had to be sincere. A weak smile flashed across his face before he closed his eyes and leaned back until his head rested against the wooden door of the clock tower. 

_“I’m so tired.”_

Tatl landed on his shoulder. 

“Then sleep. As long as we have the ocarina, we can always turn back time. You’re saving the world, you deserve some rest.” 

_“Thank you, Tatl.”_

She hesitated for a moment, maybe to see if he would get up from the floor and go to find an actual bed to sleep in, but he didn’t. So then she started quietly humming a melody in his ear that sounded curiously similar to Zelda’s lullaby. 


End file.
